NEW YORK  Michael Chang finally got his farewell tribute at the U.S. Open. The Chang ceremony was postponed twice by persistent rain that delayed the tournament this week. When the skies cleared, he was honored at center court Thursday night.

Michael Chang thanks the New York fans Thursday.

By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY

The youngest man ever to win a U.S. Open match and the youngest Grand Slam champion in history gave the fans one more trademark fist pump and received a standing ovation.

Chang ended his career with one last match at the Open last week, one day after the USTA honored Pete Sampras with a center-court ceremony.

He was introduced to the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium one final time by Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe.

"He's one of the great champions in the history of American tennis," McEnroe said. "All of us respected your intensity, your passion, your desire."

Chang's brother and longtime coach, Carl, was by his side, and so was his mother, Betty.

"It's every professional athlete's dream to finish on a high note," he said. "I can honestly say, from the bottom of my heart, I've finished on a high note. And there's no other way I'd want to finish my career."

Chang burst into the tennis spotlight when he won the French Open at age 17, two years after becoming the youngest player to win a men's match at the Open.

At least she wasn't hurt: It took seventh-seeded Anastasia Myskina four days to earn the 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 victory over Mary Pierce, and left the two-time Grand Slam champion bristling.

"I think this was the weirdest situation that I've ever experienced in a Grand Slam tournament," Myskina said. "It was really, really weird, to wait four days and play 20 minutes to finish the match. It was really weird.

"It's the first time I've gone through an experience like that, and hopefully the last time."

Pierce was critical of desperate tournament officials, who gave her and Myskina only 15 minutes' notice that they would restart during a rain break on Thursday.

"It's not enough time to get ready and prepare and warm up," Pierce said. "Especially if it's cold out. It's a good way to get injured."

Tennis partners: The ATP and WTA Tour announced formation of One Game, a joint program designed to streamline their operations and grow professional tennis worldwide. The program will focus on five strategic areas — IT/new media, research, education, administrative and operational efficiencies, marketing and promotions.

For starters, One Game will create the Tennis Internet Group that will produce and market the Web sites of the two organizations as well as tournaments and other tennis related new media and technology products.

Blimp message: Once play finally got under way, it was clear flying for the Goodyear blimp.

As the Spirit of Goodyear flew over Arthur Ashe Stadium before the night matches began, the blimp provided a message that was on the minds of many people at the National Tennis Center.

It said: "No More Rain."

Open grounds crew working nonstop drying courts: Joe Sexton held a cigarette in one hand, a phone in the other and had a radio strapped to his belt.

Sexton and his grounds crew at the National Tennis Center have been feeling the pressure from U.S. Open officials to dry the courts as quickly as possible. But as soon as the courts were ready to play, the rain started to fall and spoil things again.

And it didn't help matters Thursday that the Grandstand, one of three main show courts, was deemed unplayable because it couldn't be dried. The water level beneath the facility's lowest-lying court is so high that the surface feels soggy even when the water on top has been wiped away.

"We have to wait for the sun. If it sits in the sun for 12 hours, it could be playable again," said Sexton, the grounds crew supervisor, who's been working from 7 a.m. to midnight each day this week dealing with the constant rain.

The Grandstand is on the northeast corner of the grounds, nearest to three bodies of water: Flushing Bay, Flushing River and Porpoise Channel, so drainage is a problem.

Sexton points out that even when the tide comes in it can cause water issues for the court.

"The water that is in the ground is not draining at the rate you would like it to," U.S. Tennis Association spokesman Chris Widmaier said.

Since Wednesday, the USTA has drafted more than 150 additional people, including ballkids, to help with drying courts, adding to the 60 in place when the tournament started.

Also, 60 additional squeegees are being used in pushing water off the courts.

"We're stationed by certain courts ready to dry them," Sexton said. "I've been here 14 years and I've never seen anything like this. I don't really get that stressed out, but there has been a lot of pressure. We've got a lot of tired guys."

And a budget that keeps shrinking.

The crew also had to bring in 10 new dryers from Pennsylvania, costing about $800 each.

"It's a disaster, this tournament," he said while he waited during the rain delay. "It's too bad. It was so nice the first week. You just try to stay focused. It's the same for everybody, but it's tough."

Lundgren hopes this week's rain will get Open officials thinking about covering the courts and having a better contingency plan for bad weather.

"They need it," he said. "They should have covers they can roll out and also have roofs on the two big courts. The weather is so unpredictable."

The second-seeded Federer was eliminated by No. 13 David Nalbandian 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-3. Nalbandian has won all five meetings against Federer.

"You know, I've had disappointing losses in my career, so this doesn't change if I have one more or one less," Federer said.

Charitable Andre: Andre Agassi's foundation will host an online charity auction and sell special ticket packages to the eighth annual, star-studded benefit held in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on Oct. 4. Each winning bidder will receive two premier seats, a commemorative program and an autographed photo of Agassi. The evening includes a star-studded cocktail reception, gourmet dinner, live and silent auction and performances by Sheryl Crow, Faith Hill, Billy Joel, Elton John and Dennis Miller.

Proceeds will benefit The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, which helps underprivileged, abused and "at-risk" children in the Las Vegas community.

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